Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it publishes its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and ongoing treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current best projected outlook, the production of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to increase access, via strategies like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase satiety so individuals eat less.
People typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the treatment, when their usual hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your chance for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
